Confirmed casualties from editorial include sports reporter and editor Abraham Nudelstejer and a page designer. Longtime employee José Cuchilla, who had worked for La Opinión for over 25 years is also out of a job. A sales executive is reportedly among the layoffs.

La Opinión has been undergoing a series of aggressive cuts over the past decade company-wide. In the early 2000s, the editorial department had over 100 employees. By 2011, editorial staff had dropped to 34. It is currently less than half of that, including four reporters – just two of whom cover local news – one photographer, a national correspondent based in Washington, D.C., a Mexico correspondent, and a handful of editors.

Several staffers have left the paper over the past year to take on other jobs.

La Opinión and its parent company impreMedia have yet to comment on the cuts.

It was Emmy weekend for Univision and Telemundo stations in Chicago and Miami. The rival stations in Chicago each picked up five awards, but Telemundo won best evening newscast at 10 pm.

In Miami, Univision 23 took the lead in the Emmy count, winning in 9 categories, in addition to securing the Governor’s Award for best overall local station. Telemundo 51 won in 8 categories, but picked up awards for overall excellence and news excellence.

The ceremonies for both the Chicago/Midwest and Suncoast Chapters of NATAS took place on Saturday, December 3.

Ruiz was most recently Regional Manager of Broadcast and Digital News for the Univision Television Group, based in Miami. She had worked for Univision for almost 15 years.

The move marks her return to Houston, where she previously worked as Executive Producer for competitor Univision KXLN 45 from 2012 to 2014.

In a Facebook post this evening, she thanked friends and colleagues for their support, but addressed one specific person – Univision Houston’s news director.

“To my dear Martha Kattan, who you all know has been my mentor for years, it is an honor to have you as a direct competitor. I undertake my challenge with a lot of respect and humility, but with great determination and dedication.”

Entravision flipped the switch at its L.A. station KSSE from its Super Estrella-branded Rock en Español format to Regional Mexican “La Suavecita.”

In what some insiders say was a surprise move, Entravision has pulled the plug on Rock en Español from its Los Angeles station KSSE 107.1 FM.

Branded as Super Estrella for almost 20 years, the station is now “La Suavecita 107.1” and airs Regional Mexican music.

Entravision took Super Estrella off the air at 11:59 p.m. last night and moved it to a digital format, available on superestrella.com.

Staffers were notified they were laid off last Thursday and started posting messages on social media.

Most of its on-air staff is gone, including longtime personalities Keven Ramirez and Alex Tercero. Keven had been with Entravision for 13 years.

Weekend radio DJ Joe Diaz was also given walking papers. Several other production staffers also lost their jobs, although it’s unclear how many were affected by the format change.

The station aired some Entravision-produced syndicated shows, so the on-air and production teams for the LM show (which aired from 3 to 7 pm) and Carlos Álvarez, who hosts countdown show “Las Super 20” and is also an entertainment correspondent for the company, remain employed.

Entravision is redirecting Rock en Español fans to www.superestrella.com, where they can choose from four different music streams.

The station has been airing sweepers redirecting Rock en Español fans to visit superestrella.com. The site that host four DJ-free streams — clásico, rock, nuevo and Club SE for them to choose from.

Entravision sent Media Moves this brief statement about the changes:

“As of December 1, Super Estrella 107.1 in Los Angeles has begun a transition to a new format, which will formally roll out in the new year. During this transition period we will be adjusting our talent resources to better align with the format change. We look forward to sharing more with you in the new year.”

But the Meruelo Media-owned KWHY-22 had kept quiet about its plans. At midnight, after broadcasting the station ID, channel 22 aired an old Mexican movie in standard definition. The station ran several such old movies throughout the day on Thursday.

An inside source says the station is “in transition,” and is “reevaluating the marketplace and planning a relaunch.”

MundoMax might be off the air, but it still has other issues to deal with in its final winding down process as it terminates the remaining staff and deals with legal issues.

He is leaving the news industry after a 20-year journalism career to become Assistant Professor of Convergence Journalism in the School of Communications and Media at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He starts the new job on January 3.

“Two and a half years ago I became a father and I started thinking – what can I do that involves my passion for news and a free press while also being able to show up at recitals and ball games. So, in 2015 I started teaching as an adjunct journalism professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University,” Israel tells Media Moves.

Israel, who is also a licensed attorney, says that as his contract was coming up for renewal in November, he started interviewing around the country for anchor/reporter positions and realized that while the opportunities were good, they involved working nights and holidays – something he was trying to avoid in order to spend more time with his family.

“I love being a journalist and even after becoming a lawyer, the TV news business had a certain allure. But local news gathering is changing – quantity over quality dominates and the costs are such that stations hire young reporters based on value and not skill.”

He says he also noticed a problem in the incoming crop of journalists.

“I’d often get newbies as the weekend anchor but was quite disappointed by what colleges are teaching them. They have some MMJ skills but they lack the drive of fighting for a free press – too willing to believe PIOs; lacking critical-thinking skills and often preoccupied in the selfie post rather than observing what’s going on around them.

That’s why I’m excited at the opportunity to mentor the next generation of journalist not so much focused on theory but practical know-how. I hope to be that kind of professor that pushes kids to get back to basics while also adapting to changing technology.”

In his first semester as a full-time professor, Israel will teach advanced reporting, journalism for the web and media law, which he says is his “personal favorite.” He will also be an advisor for school newspaper.

He’s also interested in doing “scholarly work on First Amendment issues. I anticipate that in the next four years, a free press that ignores the cacophony of detractors will be sorely needed.

One day before MundoMax it is scheduled to permanently go off the air, its Chicago affiliate is suing the short-lived network.

Attorneys for KM LPTV OF CHICAGO-13, L.L.C. today filed a complaint against RCN-owned MundoMax in the State of California, accusing the company of breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unfair business practices and false promises with no intention to keep them. In California that is considered fraud, according to Belinda Vega, an attorney from GERARD FOX LAW P.C., which is representing KM LPTV.

Under the terms of the original agreement, MundoFox/MundoMax became the WOCK TV 13’s exclusive national spot sales representative and guaranteed that if national advertising revenues during the second, third and fourth years of the deal was less than $600,000, the network would pay KM LPTV the difference.

According to the complaint, in February of 2014, under new management, but still under Fox-RCN co-ownership, then MundoFox agreed to pay KM LPTV on a quarterly basis, guaranteeing that if national revenues dropped below $150,000 in a quarter, they would pay the difference.

KM LPTV alleges that while it held its part of the deal, airing and marketing the network’s programming, “MundoMax booked $0 in national advertising sales revenue for the second, third and fourth quarters of the fourth year of the term” and then failed to pay the station the $450,000 it had guaranteed.

Since KM LPTV was bound by the agreement to have MundoFox/MundoMax as their exclusive sales agent, they were unable to seek other representation for national sales, resulting in “direct and consequential damages” for the station.

“MundoMax didn’t honor the agreement,” states attorney Vega, who argues KM LPTV did abide by the terms of the deal it signed. “MundoFox received a benefit and did not compensate KM LPTV for it and needs to do so.”

Although MundoMax will no longer operate as a network in the United States, they continue to have legal obligations.

“They’re alive and well as an entity, even if they’re winding down. They have an obligation to respond to the complaint,” says Vega.